Professor Layton and the Shadow Key
by Ophelia the Great
Summary: On a seemingly normal day, Professor Hershel Layton receives a letter from his former apprentice Luke. Little does he know that letter will turn his and a few others lives upside down (Set after Unwound Future)
1. Prologue

Professor Layton and the Shadow Key

**AN: So, here is ma first fanfic on this site for Professor Layton. Hope you like it, so without further a due, here it is..**

**Set after PL3**

**Prologue**

It was a windy winter day in London. The professor sat at his study, sipping a cup of his favourite tea. He was about to start planning a lesson for his university class when an abrupt clank was heard outside his door. He started to call for his apprentice to retrieve the post, but remembered that he was no longer in London. Luke had left for America one year ago, and the professor still hadn't gotten used to it. Neither had Flora. The professor's adopted daughter had still missed her long gone friend, but wasn't as solemn as she had been before. The professor stood up and walked over to the door. He opened it, shivering as his breath evaporated into mist in the cold air. He reached inside his post box to take the letters. He closed the door and walked back to his desk, expecting junk mail and bills or maybe a letter from Emmy or Clive, as Emmy had returned to London to take work as an inspector in Scotland Yard and Clive was her responsibility, as a test. But, what had come in the mail surprised him. It was a letter from his apprentice. He had thought Luke had been to busy, or simply forgot to write to him, but here in his hand was a letter, handwritten by Luke. He opened it, expecting the boy to explain in great detail about his trip to America, so far away.

_Dear Professor Layton,_

_It's been a while since we've said goodbye. How have you been? As for me, I'm all settled in and making new friends. I'm writing to you because something deeply puzzling has happened here recently. It seems like the kind of mystery that's tailor-made for Professor Layton and his apprentice. I don't think anyone else could get to the bottom of it. I've enclosed a document with this letter that will tell you more about the situation. I can't wait to start this new adventure with you. Please write back as soon as you get this letter. _

_Your friend and apprentice,_

_Luke_

The professor smiled and removed the small package within the letter. It was blocked with a slide puzzle. "How clever" Layton thought as he solved the puzzle in a few seconds. The items inside it were varied, from newspaper clippings, to photos, even to small notes written by Luke himself. There were also four tickets for a round trip to Michigan and back. Two of the objects though, piqued his interest. One was a photo of Luke and a girl with violet hair. "I wonder who that is." he mumbled. The other was a newspaper article, cut right out of the main page. It read " Mayor's Wife and Daughter Found" The article read below

_The young daughter and wife of mayor Zachariah Dawson were found bloody and prostrate on the sidewalk in front of the mayoral office. Several reporters and paramedics were on the scene, also present was the mayor himself. His dear wife, Beatrice Dawson, formerly Anders, disappeared only 5 days before. His daughter, Ophelia Corrine Dawson, disappeared the day before her and her mother's reappearance. The motives behind this brutal attack are so far unknown, but the local police are on the case."_

The newspaper was dated one year ago, about the time of Layton's investigation into "Future" London. The professor looked over to the two pictures beside the article. One was of the same girl who was beside Luke, almost unchanged, and her mother. They looked quite startlingly alike, both with deep purple eyes and hair. They were both smiling and laughing. They other picture was of the scene of their appearance. Layton shuddered as he saw the grisly scene. The child was curled into a ball, with a small patch of crimson liquid beside her. But, the child looked unscathed compared to the mother. Her face was close captured and appeared to be twisted in sheer agony. Her face was covered in bruises that were almost as purple as their hair. She was bloody all over and her face seemed quite sunken in. The professor lowered the article and picked up one of Luke's hand written notes.

_Professor,_

_Seeing as you solved the puzzle, proving it's you, I feel I can disclose the information on this case, but not through letter. I need to speak with you in person. Father suggested you come to visit us here in Michigan. Mother agreed and I think you know my answer. I need to request you bring along some others to accompany you and assist with the case. I ask for Emmy,Flora, you of course, and Clive. I believe Clive is under Emmy's guidance (she wrote me a while back) and Flora is still living with you. Please come as soon as possible._

_Luke_

After he read this note, the professor took out a sheet of letter paper and began writing furiously. After dropping the letter in the delivery box later on, he climbed his stairwell and knocked on Flora's door. She opened the door quickly and had a quizzical look on her face. "Flora, you need to know that we'll be going on an..adventure soon, so you need to pack a suitcase and be ready to leave in the morning. Understood?" Layton asked. Flora looked dumbfounded for a moment, then excited, then stern and nodded. The professor returned the gesture and headed for his room. He would of course need to pack for a trip to America. And a trip to Scotland Yard.

**So, the prologue..Hope you liked it and want more! Enjoy the rest of your day/night fellow Laytonites!**


	2. Chapter 1: The Meeting

**Professor Layton and the Shadow Key**

**Hello there fellow Laytonites! Thanks and a shout out to The Mocking J, for being my awesome first reviewer! Please leave your thoughts in a review, it only takes a minute. Now, we continue our story...**

**Disclaimer: I only own my OCS, not PL :(**

The next morning, the professor awoke to the rhythmic beat of the rain pounding on his roof. He slid off his oh-so comfortable bed, yawning, and went to get ready. It was 6:30 in the morning and it was still quite dark outside. He woke Flora up with a knock on her door, and the two walked quickly down the stairs into the kitchen. They both ate, got freshened up, and were dressed in half an hour. They climbed into the car, with Flora holding back an excited squeal. They drove down the now quiet streets of London to pick up the other two members of their expedition. The professor had called Emmy and explained the situation to her. She was almost yelling into the receiver saying how much she missed going on adventures and rambled about how Clive was doing. The professor was still slightly wary of the young man. Of course he had a good heart, but one could not say he wasn't slightly unstable. But that's where Emmy's job comes in. She had been helping Clive and attempting to repress his psychotic attributes. The professor stopped his daydreaming when Flora squealed, "We're here!" They climbed out of the car, ran in Flora's case, and knocked on the front entrance of the Yard. "Name." a voice called out from an intercom outside the wall. "Hershel Layton and Flora Reinhold. We are here to see Inspector Altava and Clive Dove." Layton responded slowly. The intercom buzzed and a click was heard. They entered the building, and in no less than the second they set one foot inside, a woman with a yellow coat came bounding out of an office and almost tackled the professor with a gigantic hug. "Oh professor, it's been so long since I've spoken to you. And Flora, look how you've grown!" Emmy babbled. "Um, Miss Emmy. We saw you last week." Flora piped in. Emmy snorted. "Far too long for me. Hey, wanna see Clive?" Flora and the Professor both nodded, glancing at each other, and Emmy dragged them to a small corridor with small dorm rooms sat. "Clive is in the one right here, so come right in!" Emmy beamed. Inside the small bedroom sat a young man with disheveled gold hair. "Nice to see you professor. What brings you here?" Clive said calmly, standing up and walking towards the three. "I haven't told him anything yet." Emmy whispered into the professor's ear. Layton explained the entire situation to Clive, who was nodding and listening intently. Everyone cringed when he described the picture he saw in the article Luke sent. "Well, count me in. I want to find the sicko who did that to those poor people." Clive stated. Emmy laughed. "Says the man who tried to level all of London once!" she said, doubling over in laughter. Clive playfully punched her in the arm, starting to laugh as well. "Well, if that's so, I suggest we all get going," the professor said, pulling out his tickets. "After all we have a very important flight to catch.

_**7 hours and 35 minutes**_** later**

Emmy grunted unhappily, having being awoken from her nice, long nap on the plane ride to Michigan. The quartet strolled out of the large airport, and climbed into a yellow taxi pulled out front. Unfortunately, said taxi was too short for the professor's hat to fit, so he had to remove it, which startled the other three, who believed the hat to be a part of Layton himself. The professor sat in the front passenger seat, with Flora and Emmy at the windows and Clive squashed in the middle. Emmy insisted she sit beside the ex-convict, as he was her responsibility, when Layton asked her if she wished to sit in the front. The ride to the site Luke provided took some time, as it was left in a puzzle and Flora insisted she solve one for once. They drove to a medium-sized house with the number 93 plastered on the front. But, the mansion towering beside it dwarfed the little house. They all made their way eagerly to the door, awaiting their reunion with their long missed friend. Emmy knocked loudly and quickly on the old door at the entrance to the house, and a woman was there in an instant smiling at her guests. "Why Hershel, I hadn't expected you so soon. We haven't even received your letter yet." Brenda said enthusiastically. "Well Brenda, a true gentleman never leaves his friends waiting in a time of need." Layton said, tipping his hat. "Luke has been anxious for your arrival since he sent the letter. He will be so.." Brenda was cut off as a young voice yelled, "PROFESSOR!" Luke ran towards the group with a large smile on his face and his arms wide open. "Group hug!" Emmy yelled happily, joining Luke in embracing the trio. After a few minutes of quick hello and how have you been, the professor cleared his throat and asked about the problem at hand. "Oh yes, it's quite a mystery." Luke said, quite upset. "The girl who was attacked is a wonderful person. She lives next door and visits a lot." "You know her then?" Flora asked. "Yes, she's here now in fact. I believe she is still upstairs after I had ran to you." Luke said, rubbing the back of his head, expecting the professor to say something along the lines of, "Now Luke, a gentleman must never desert a lady." But, it didn't come, only a quiet "Hm" from the professor and a snicker or two from Emmy and Clive. Flora sat there fiddling with her thumbs as the awkward moment passed. "I'll get her if you want, she's quite shy though." Luke said, glad for a reason to escape the silence. After a few more moments of silence and a small amount of chatter from the upstairs, Luke came bounding down the stairs with a girl about the same age following suit. She was almost identical to the picture of the laughing child, but seemed more depressed. Her hair seemed duller and her eyes more troubled with an uncertainty brewing behind them. She also had a small scar on her cheek. "This is Ophelia Dawson, the girl from the article." Luke announced as she looked quickly at the group, but looked back at the floor. The professor glanced at Ophelia, standing rigid in the center of the room. This case was certainly going to be interesting.

**And here is the meeting of Layton and co. with Ophelia! P.S I actually looked up the flight time for Michigan to London for this, so I believe it's correct.**

**Read and review my fellow puzzle aficionados!**


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